No 'official' Winni Derby big catch winner announced yet

Derby volunteers are meeting Thursday to determine the time and place where 17-year-old Bishop Brady High School junior Dakota Wright will take a polygraph test to assure that he caught his derby-winning 22.5-inch, 3.7-pound salmon in Lake Winnipesaukee.

Wright, of Laconia was named the "victor apparent" of the $12,500 grand prize in the Winni Derby Sunday, having apparently caught the largest salmon of the tournament off of Welch's Island Saturday.

Derby officials decided this year to enforce its Rule 15, which requires a polygraph test for the winner of the salmon contest.

Derby officials made the change this year because of widespread rumors of cheating in recent derbies, though they have no proof that anyone has actually cheated.

Derby chair Diane LaBrie said the polygraph administrator is from Ossipee, and the derby staff are volunteers with day jobs, so scheduling of the test has not been done yet.

"It could be two weeks from now, I'm not sure," she said.

LaBrie also said the polygraph operator's procedure does not permit photographs to be taken during the test.